Issues with Boinc 7.4.27 - GPU & ASIC

Questions and Answers : Windows : Issues with Boinc 7.4.27 - GPU & ASIC
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Message 1618891 - Posted: 25 Dec 2014, 23:49:29 UTC

I'm not sure why, but ever since I overclocked my GPU slightly with MSI Afterburner, it seems that Seti&Home is no longer giving my GPU any tasks, in fact, Boinc completely removed it from the list where I can select "Suspend, Run on Prefs, Run always" (under Activity). When I check the log, it says it won't use it cause my computer is in use, so I went into options and even tried setting it to always use, still didn't work.

Also, I remember hearing that this new client can use ASIC miner tools, so I got my old bitcoin tool out that was just a basic ASIC miner, but nothing. I remember editing some config files to try and enable it too. Not sure what to do to make it work. I do however see this in my event log when it starts up my CPU.

12/25/2014 5:37:14 PM | SETI@home | Requesting new tasks for CPU and miner_asic

So, why isn't Seti using my GPU anymore? And how do I make my ASIC miner work?
This is the tool I used, however mine is slightly faster, 336MH/s
http://www.amazon.com/ASICMiner-Block-Erupter-USB-Sapphire/dp/B00CUJT7TO
Same device basically. In case someone needs to know the exact device.
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Message 1625098 - Posted: 7 Jan 2015, 20:48:43 UTC - in response to Message 1618891.  

If BOINC isn't listing your GPU, then it isn't seeing it. This means you have a driver issue. The driver must have the OpenCL libraries required for crunching.


SETI doesn't have an application for any known ASICs, therefore SETI doesn't use ASIC miners for work.
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Message 1625104 - Posted: 7 Jan 2015, 20:55:44 UTC
Last modified: 7 Jan 2015, 20:58:20 UTC

Would be nice if you checked what I wrote here. I'll repost below and add one condition I forgot in my original post.
Then is it a coincidence that I haven't been able to get GPU specific tasks for a while?

There are no "GPU specific" tasks. All tasks, be it Multibeam v7 or Astropulse v7 will sit waiting in the feeder until a computer comes knocking asking for work for "a GPU", "a CPU" or both at the same time. Work then gets appointed to that computer according to which hardware resource got there first.

Which means that if you haven't had work for your GPU in a while now, you'll have to start looking closer to home first:
- Are your project preferences still set so your GPU can ask for work? Do check that you're on the right location (default, home, school, work).
- In BOINC Manager, is the Activity->GPU option set so the GPU can run (always or based on preferences)?
- In BOINC Manager, is any work still registered to the GPU set to "Suspend"?
-- Tasks tab, check that the button "Show Active Tasks" is showing. If "Show All Tasks is showing, click this. The button shows the option you have, not the state it is in.
-- Any task possibly showing status "Suspended by user", click it, then click the "Resume" button. Again, the Suspend/Resume button shows the option you have, not the state it is in.
- When BOINC asks Seti for work, does it do so only for the CPU or also for the GPU? You can add more elaborate messages to the Event Log by enabling the <sched_op_debug> flag from Advanced->Event Log Diagnostic Flags. Checking it and then clicking OK will make that it's used immediately. The Event Log (CTRL+SHIFT+E) will then show work request values per hardware instance. You can post a log with that for some of us to trawl through.

Additionally, when you last installed BOINC, you didn't by chance install it as a service? When installed as a service BOINC is not able to use the GPU under Windows, because Windows separates the drivers from the user accounts.

As for your ASIC Miner, http://www.bitcoinutopia.net/bitcoinutopia/ can use that.
Apropos, according to your computers list, you're using BOINC 7.4.36
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Message 1625382 - Posted: 8 Jan 2015, 12:36:43 UTC

Yea, I updated as soon as the new update came out.

As for the mining tool, I suppose I can delete the file I made for it since I thought the ASIC miner would be more useful for something not useless (bitcoin mining is useless). Figured it'd be better than throwing it away after all.

Yes, GPU is set to allow work and it used to do work, until I overclocked it by 17.5%. After that, Boinc won't use it again and I don't know how to get it to see it. The driver crashed a few times prior, when trying to find a stable clock rate, but I had found one at 910MHz, when playing some of my intense games. I reset the clock and turned off the tool I used to overclock it but Boinc just still won't get GPU work and it simply isn't giving me the option to use GPU like it did before. I used to always have "Suspend GPU, GPU on prefs, GPU always" options under the same CPU options, above the network options in Activity menu. Now all the GPU ones are gone.

I did install it as a service. I thought that was supposed to be better, and give it a bit more abilities or something. What's the difference with service and non-service?
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Message 1625613 - Posted: 9 Jan 2015, 1:22:56 UTC - in response to Message 1625382.  

Installing as a system service simply allows BOINC to crunch when no one is logged into the machine. If you have users always logged into the machine, meaning after a reboot you are not prompted for a password, then there is no advantage to running as a system service.

The caveat is that running BOINC as a system service doesn't allow BOINC to detect the GPU thanks to the changes made in Windows Vista and later. This is indicated in the BOINC installer that you won't be able to use the GPU if you install as a system service.

You will have to uninstall BOINC and re-install without the service option to get GPU crunching back.
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Message 1625651 - Posted: 9 Jan 2015, 4:50:02 UTC - in response to Message 1625613.  

I assume that all my downloaded and currently in progress work will be safe when I uninstall and reinstall? Including all my configs and such?
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Message 1625716 - Posted: 9 Jan 2015, 8:28:44 UTC
Last modified: 9 Jan 2015, 8:33:59 UTC

Boinc can't be uninstalled properly. I'm going to try and reinstall without uninstalling it, because it can't be uninstalled.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qo1j7580obc56lh/Screenshot%202015-01-09%2002.28.24.png

Nevermind, got it uninstalled and my GPU options back. Apparently, you have to download a new copy of boinc to uninstall it from there, then you can install again after. My GPU options are back again. :P
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Message 1625722 - Posted: 9 Jan 2015, 8:52:53 UTC - in response to Message 1625716.  
Last modified: 9 Jan 2015, 8:53:03 UTC

For future reference, do know this isn't a BOINC problem but one of your operating system / Windows Installer.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2564571 writes:
This can occur if Windows Installer Logging is enabled, but the Windows Installer engine cannot properly write the uninstallation log file. This condition can occur if the Windows Installer's application heap becomes freed and thus loses the information on where to store the log file. When this occurs, Windows Installer attempts to write to the location 'C:\Windows\System32' and addresses it as a file. Proper behavior would be to write to the following location and file name: 'C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Temp\MSIxxxxxx.log'.

WORKAROUND
To work around this issue, stop and restart the Explorer.exe process using Task Manager.

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Message 1627962 - Posted: 15 Jan 2015, 13:50:29 UTC - in response to Message 1625722.  

Ah, well I got it working using an advanced uninstaller from system mechanic. My GPU now works fine with Boinc, though haven't overclocked it again because I had some odd crashes that might possibly have been related to it.

Out of curiosity, if you would happen to know the answer (cause I've asked literally everyone else), what causes this? (Might be related to the explorer issue you mentioned)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/v4e1uibi79yx4qc/Screenshot%202014-12-20%2015.49.56.png

Every day or two, I open task manager and have to end 2-10 duplicate explorer.exe processes, no clue why.
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Questions and Answers : Windows : Issues with Boinc 7.4.27 - GPU & ASIC


 
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